Returning Home for Division Finals

Although the final margin of victory was still the same in both games last weekend in St. Louis, the difference in the way the Phantoms played was really night and day – like Bob said.

It was almost incredible how nervous it looked like we played on Friday. We weren’t finishing our hits, we weren’t able to break the puck out, we couldn’t get any sustained offensive pressure, our power play could barely get set up, we didn’t stick to any game plan, etc.

The Bandits were having a field day on Bartus… I would say nearly 50% of the 39 shots he faced were good quality scoring chances. He played very well and kept the team in the game throughout.

Saturday’s game started much like Friday’s game. St. Louis came out quick, and got up by two early. After we settled down a bit, we got our first goal and then I really feel we outplayed the Bandits for the final 45 minutes of the game. We were the ones with the better chances, we kept the shots on Tibbett to the perimeter, we had more sustained pressure, and our power play started to click.

More importantly, however, the boys should have gained a lot confidence playing so well on the Olympic surface at the Hardees IcePlex…which is where we will not only have to beat St. Louis, but we will have to beat two other teams as well come tournament time. However, neither of the other teams will have either a home crowd advantage or the advantage of having played as many games as we have on that rink… which should then be to our advantage.

Speaking of the National Championship Tournament, I’m not sure if everyone caught the story on either the NAHL website or the release I put up on the Phantoms website about the change of format for the Robertson Cup Tournament?

Unlike any years before, there will now be a semi-final game on Saturday. The team with the best record after the round-robin will get an automatic bid to the Championship game, and the worst team after the round-robin will be eliminated. The second and third seeded teams will face-off at 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 3 for the right to go to the title game. Would have helped us last year!

Tonight, the Phantoms are obviously in a must-win situation for the series – to defend their North Division playoff championship crown. In the larger picture, the Phantoms need to prove to themselves again that they can beat the Bandits. They are definitely a very good team, but when you take the home-ice away from them, their speed is significantly diminished, and they don’t have nearly as much room to create.

The Phantoms lead the series 2-1-1 this season at the Ice Zone, and the way the Phantoms were playing before this weekend, and they way they played the last 50 minutes on Saturday, I would not be surprised at all to see them force a Game 5.

Something needs to be done about the Merrifield-Warda-Rabbani line. They are good; it is tough to contain them. It will be a bit easier to keep track of them on the NHL rink, as they were so good at just finding some open ice at home.

Don’t forget to get to the game early tonight. From 5 to 7 p.m., there will be dollar drafts and Spatz from 93.3 – The Wolf – and the Mahoning Valley Thunder arena football cheerleaders – the Storm Chasers – will be there to entertain the crowd.

There is less than two weeks now left in the season. This is my 33rd Cameron’s Corner and I would like to thank everyone who has read it throughout the year. Feel free to comment as well!

Next week at this time, I will be in Chesterfield, Mo., and only a few hours away from the opening face-off for the Robertson Cup Championship! I will have a preview from there, and I will also have a season review for you sometime between May 5-7.

Go Phantoms!